SEC Petition Evaluation Report

Petition SEC-00245

Report Rev Number: 0

Report Submittal Date: November 30, 2017

Subject Expert(s): Chris Miles

Site Expert(s): N/A

Petition Administrative Summary

Petition Under Evaluation

Petition Number: SEC-00245

Petition Type: 83.14

Petition A Receipt Date: November 30, 2017

DOE/AWE Facility Name: Ames Laboratory

Petition Class

NIOSH-Proposed Class Definition: All employees of the Department of Energy, its predecessor agencies, and their 

contractors and subcontractors who worked in any area at the Ames Laboratory 

in Ames, Iowa, during the period from January 1, 1971 through December 31, 

1989, for a number of work days aggregating at least 250 work days, occurring 

either solely under this employment or in combination with work days within 

the parameters established for one or more other classes of employees included 

in the Special Exposure Cohort.

Related Petition Summary Information

SEC Petition Tracking Number(s): SEC-00038

SEC-00075

SEC-00166

SEC-00185

Petition Type: 83.13

83.13

83.13

83.14

DOE/AWE Facility Name: Ames Laboratory

Petition Status: Class added to the SEC for January 1, 1942 through December 31, 1954

Class added to the SEC for January 1, 1955 through December 31, 1970

Class added to the SEC for January 1, 1955 through December 31, 1960

Class added to the SEC for August 13, 1942 through December 31, 1970

Related Evaluation Report Information

Report Title: SEC Petition Evaluation Report for Petition SEC-00038

SEC Petition Evaluation Report for Petition SEC-00075

SEC Petition Evaluation Report for Petition SEC-00166

SEC Petition Evaluation Report for Petition SEC-00185

DOE/AWE Facility Name: Ames Laboratory
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ORAU Preparation and Review

ORAU Lead Technical Evaluator: Chris Miles

ORAU Peer Review Completed By: Michael Kubiak

DCAS Review and Approval

Peer Review Completed By:

[Signature on File]

Thomas P. Tomes

November 30, 2017

SEC Petition Evaluation Reviewed By:

[Signature on File]

James W. Neton

November 30, 2017

SEC Petition Evaluation Approved By:

[Signature on File]

Stuart L. Hinnefeld

November 30, 2017
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Evaluation Report Summary: SEC-00245, Ames Laboratory

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) prepared this evaluation report in 

response to a petition to add a class of workers at the Ames Laboratory to the Special Exposure 

Cohort (SEC). The Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000, as 

amended, (EEOICPA) and 42 C.F.R. pt. 83, Procedures for Designating Classes of Employees as 

Members of the Special Exposure Cohort under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness 

Compensation Program Act of 2000, describe the process for adding new classes to the SEC.

On August 24, 2011, the Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health (Advisory Board) 

discussed and accepted the class proposed by NIOSH in its SEC Petition Evaluation Report for 

Petition SEC-00185, Ames Laboratory (NIOSH, 2011). In its report, NIOSH evaluated the feasibility 

of reconstructing radiation doses for all workers who worked at Ames Laboratory during the time 

period of August 13, 1942 through December 31, 1970. Based on its research at that time and the 

prior evaluation reports identified on the cover page of this document, NIOSH defined a single class 

of employees for which it could not estimate radiation doses with sufficient accuracy from August 13, 

1942 through December 31, 1970. The internal dose reconstruction infeasibility identified by NIOSH 

for that period was due primarily to a lack of data necessary to fully reconstruct internal doses during 

that time period, including doses from thorium and other radionuclides. 

Per the DOE Office of Health, Safety and Security, the time period associated with DOE operations at 

Ames Laboratory is currently specified as August 13, 1942 to the present. Since the issuance of the

2011 report, NIOSH has continued its evaluation of Ames Laboratory for the post-1970 period. The 

current conclusions of this ongoing evaluation are presented in this report. 

NIOSH-Proposed Class Definition

All employees of the Department of Energy, its predecessor agencies, and their contractors and 

subcontractors who worked in any area at the Ames Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, during the period from 

January 1, 1971 through December 31, 1989, for a number of work days aggregating at least 250 work 

days, occurring either solely under this employment or in combination with work days within the 

parameters established for one or more other classes of employees included in the Special Exposure 

Cohort. 

Feasibility of Dose Reconstruction Findings 

In addition to the dose reconstruction infeasibilities identified in the 2011 Evaluation Report (NIOSH, 

2011) for the period from August 13, 1942 through December 31, 1970, NIOSH now finds it lacks 

sufficient internal dosimetry, air monitoring, and detailed operations descriptions to allow it to 

estimate internal exposures with sufficient accuracy for all workers at the site from January 1, 1971 

through December 31, 1989. In this SEC-00245 evaluation report, NIOSH has determined that there 

is insufficient information to fully reconstruct internal doses from exposure to uranium and thorium 

(and their progeny), and other radionuclides, from January 1, 1971 through December 31, 1989. 

However, NIOSH has determined that partial internal dose reconstructions can be performed for 

workers who were monitored during this period. 
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The NIOSH dose reconstruction feasibility findings are based on the following: 

• Principal sources of internal radiation dose for members of the evaluated class included exposures 

to uranium and thorium and their decay products. Other sources included fission and activation 

products, tritium, and miscellaneous other radionuclides used in research. The modes of exposure 

were inhalation and ingestion during metal fabrication, research and development, and machining 

activities or during the subsequent resuspension of these materials due to decontamination or 

decommissioning activities. 

• In this current evaluation, NIOSH has determined that there are insufficient data available to 

estimate intakes from site research and developmental work with various radionuclides, and from 

remediation and decontamination work in various site buildings and grounds, for the period from 

January 1, 1971 through December 31, 1989. Although the major uranium and thorium 

production operations had concluded at Ames Laboratory prior to this time period, process 

development and research continued with those materials and with other radionuclides. Such 

operations took place in multiple buildings at Ames Laboratory, including the Metals 

Development Building, Spedding Hall, Wilhelm Hall, the Waste Handling Building in the Ames 

Laboratory Research Reactor area, and other locations. Decontamination and remediation 

activities were also prevalent throughout Ames Laboratory during this period. 

• NIOSH has now concluded that there are insufficient internal dosimetry data or air monitoring 

data available to estimate intakes of uranium, thorium, or other radionuclides prior to 1990. By 

1990, with the implementation of DOE Order 5480.11, Radiation Protection for Occupational 

Workers (DOE, 1988), radiological control and dose assessment programs were reevaluated and 

improved. 

• Based on the lack of internal dose monitoring data or air monitoring data for Ames Laboratory 

workers during the period from January 1, 1971 through December 31, 1989, NIOSH has 

determined that sufficiently accurate internal dose reconstruction is not feasible. NIOSH is 

continuing to evaluate the post-1989 period. 

• Pursuant to 42 C.F.R. §83.13(c)(1), NIOSH determined that there is insufficient information for 

the period from January 1, 1971 through December 31, 1989 to either: (1) estimate the maximum 

radiation dose, for every type of cancer for which radiation doses are reconstructed, that could 

have been incurred under plausible circumstances by any member of the class; or (2) estimate the 

radiation doses of members of the class more precisely than a maximum dose estimate.

Although NIOSH found that it is not possible to completely reconstruct radiation doses for the 

proposed class, NIOSH intends to use any internal and external monitoring data that may become 

available for an individual claim (and that can be interpreted using existing NIOSH dose 

reconstruction processes or procedures). Therefore, dose reconstructions for individuals employed at 

Ames Laboratory during the period from January 1, 1971 through December 31, 1989, but who do not 

qualify for inclusion in the SEC, may be performed using these data as appropriate. 
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Health Endangerment Determination

The NIOSH evaluation did not identify any evidence that would establish that the class was exposed 

to radiation during a discrete incident likely to have involved exceptionally high-level exposures, such 

as nuclear criticality incidents or other events involving similarly high levels of exposures. However, 

the evidence reviewed in this evaluation indicates that some employees in the class may have 

accumulated chronic radiation exposures through intakes of uranium and thorium (and their progeny), 

and other radionuclides, as well as direct exposure to radioactive materials. Therefore, 42 C.F.R. 

§83.13(c) (3) (ii) requires NIOSH to specify that health may have been endangered for those 

employees covered by this evaluation who were employed for a number of work days aggregating at 

least 250 work days within the parameters established for this class or in combination with work days 

within the parameters established for one or more other classes of employees in the SEC.
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Table of Contents

Evaluation Report Summary: SEC-00245, Ames Laboratory ................................................................ 3

Table of Contents .................................................................................................................................... 7

1.0 Purpose and Scope ....................................................................................................................... 9

2.0 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 9

3.0 NIOSH-Proposed Class Definition and Petition Basis .............................................................. 10

4.0 Radiological Operations Relevant to the Proposed Class ......................................................... 10

4.1 Operations Description ..................................................................................................... 10

4.2 Radiation Exposure Potential from Operations ................................................................ 12

4.2.1 Internal Exposure Potential .................................................................................. 12

4.2.2 External Exposure Potential ................................................................................. 12

4.3 Time Period Associated with Radiological Operations .................................................... 12

4.4 Site Locations Associated with Radiological Operations ................................................ 13

4.5 Job Descriptions Affected by Radiological Operations ................................................... 16

5.0 Summary of Available Monitoring Data for the Proposed Class .............................................. 17

5.1 Data Capture Efforts and Sources Reviewed ................................................................... 17

5.2 Previous Dose Reconstructions ........................................................................................ 18

5.3 Employee Interviews ........................................................................................................ 18

5.4 Internal Monitoring Data .................................................................................................. 19

5.5 External Monitoring Data ................................................................................................. 19

5.6 Workplace Monitoring Data ............................................................................................. 19

5.7 Radiological Source Term Data ....................................................................................... 20

6.0 Feasibility of Dose Reconstruction for the Proposed Class ...................................................... 20

6.1 Feasibility of Estimating Internal Exposures ................................................................... 21

6.2 Feasibility of Estimating External Exposures .................................................................. 23

6.3 Class Parameters Associated with Infeasibility ................................................................ 23

7.0 Summary of Feasibility Findings for Petition SEC-00245 ........................................................ 24

8.0 Evaluation of Health Endangerment for Petition SEC-00245 ................................................... 24

9.0 NIOSH-Proposed Class for Petition SEC-00245 ...................................................................... 25

10.0 Evaluation of Second Similar Class .......................................................................................... 25

11.0 References ................................................................................................................................. 27

Attachment One: Data Capture Synopsis .............................................................................................. 31
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Tables

Table 5-1: No. of Ames Laboratory Claims Submitted Under the Dose Reconstruction Rule ............. 18

Table A1-1: Summary of Holdings in the SRDB for Ames Laboratory ............................................... 31

Table A1-2: Database Searches for Ames Laboratory .......................................................................... 40
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SEC Petition Evaluation Report for SEC-00245

ATTRIBUTION AND ANNOTATION: This is a single-author document. All conclusions drawn from 

the data presented in this evaluation were made by the ORAU Team Lead Technical Evaluator: Chris 

Miles; Quantaflux, LLC. The rationales for all conclusions in this document are explained in the 

associated text.

1.0 Purpose and Scope

This report evaluates the feasibility of reconstructing doses for employees who worked at Ames 

Laboratory during a specified time. It provides information and analysis germane to considering a 

petition for adding a class of employees to the Congressionally-created SEC.

This report does not make any determinations concerning the feasibility of dose reconstruction that 

necessarily apply to any individual energy employee who might require a dose reconstruction from 

NIOSH, with the exception of the employee whose dose reconstruction could not be completed, and 

whose claim consequently led to this petition evaluation. The finding in this report is not the final 

determination as to whether or not the proposed class will be added to the SEC. This report will be 

considered by the Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health (the Board) and by the Secretary 

of Health and Human Services (HHS). The Secretary of HHS will make final decisions concerning 

whether or not to add one or more classes to the SEC in response to the petition addressed by this 

report.

This evaluation, in which NIOSH provides its findings both on the feasibility of estimating radiation 

doses of members of this class with sufficient accuracy and on health endangerment, was conducted in 

accordance with the requirements of EEOICPA and 42 C.F.R. § 83.14. 

2.0 Introduction

Both EEOICPA and 42 C.F.R. pt. 83 require NIOSH to evaluate qualified petitions requesting that the 

Department of Health and Human Services add a class of employees to the SEC. The evaluation is 

intended to provide a fair, science-based determination of whether it is feasible to estimate, with 

sufficient accuracy, the radiation doses of the proposed class of employees through NIOSH dose 

reconstructions.1

1 NIOSH dose reconstructions under EEOICPA are performed using the methods promulgated under 42 C.F.R. pt. 82 and 

the detailed implementation guidelines available on the NIOSH Radiation Dose Reconstruction Program page.

NIOSH is required to document its evaluation in a report, and to do so, relies upon both its own dose 

reconstruction expertise as well as technical support from its contractor, Oak Ridge Associated 

Universities (ORAU). Once completed, NIOSH provides the report to both the petitioners and the 

Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health. The Board will consider the NIOSH evaluation 

report, together with the petition, comments of the petitioner(s) and such other information as the 

Board considers appropriate, to make recommendations to the Secretary of HHS on whether or not to 

add one or more classes of employees to the SEC. Once NIOSH has received and considered the 

 
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advice of the Board, the Director of NIOSH will propose a decision on behalf of HHS. The Secretary 

of HHS will make the final decision, taking into account the NIOSH evaluation, the advice of the 

Board, and the proposed decision issued by NIOSH. As part of this final decision process, the 

petitioner(s) may seek a review of certain types of final decisions issued by the Secretary of HHS.

2

2 See 42 C.F.R. pt. 83 for a full description of the procedures summarized here. Additional internal procedures are 

available on the NIOSH Radiation Dose Reconstruction Program page.

3.0 NIOSH-Proposed Class Definition and Petition Basis

The NIOSH-proposed class includes all employees of the Department of Energy, its predecessor 

agencies, and their contractors and subcontractors who worked in any area at the Ames Laboratory in 

Ames, Iowa, during the period from January 1, 1971 through December 31, 1989, for a number of 

work days aggregating at least 250 work days, occurring either solely under this employment or in 

combination with work days within the parameters established for one or more other classes of 

employees included in the Special Exposure Cohort. During this period, employees at this facility 

were involved with metal fabrication, research and development, and remediation activities associated 

with thorium, uranium, tritium, and various fission and activation products. 

The evaluation responds to Petition SEC-00245, which was submitted by an EEOICPA claimant 

whose dose reconstruction could not be completed by NIOSH due to a lack of sufficient dosimetryrelated information. NIOSH’s determination that it is unable to complete a dose reconstruction for an 

EEOICPA claimant is a qualified basis for submitting an SEC petition pursuant to 42 C.F.R. §83.9(b). 

4.0 Radiological Operations Relevant to the Proposed Class 

The following subsections summarize the radiological operations at the Ames Laboratory from 

August 13, 1942 through December 31, 1989 and the information available to NIOSH to characterize 

particular processes and radioactive source materials. Using available sources, NIOSH has attempted 

to gather process and source descriptions, information regarding the identity and quantities of 

radionuclides of concern, and information describing processes through which the radiation exposures 

of concern may have occurred and the physical environment in which they may have occurred. The 

information included within this evaluation report is meant only to be a summary of the available 

information. 

Although this evaluation is for the period from January 1, 1971 through December 31, 1989, activities 

that took place in prior years are still relevant and are included in this section because prior activities 

likely resulted in residual contamination that would have affected workers in the later years. 

4.1 Operations Description

This section summarizes the operations performed at Ames Laboratory that are relevant to the 

proposed SEC time period. Additional information associated with operations at Ames Laboratory 

during prior years (1942-1970) can be found in the NIOSH evaluation reports for petitions 

 
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SEC-00038, SEC-00075, SEC-00166, and SEC-00185 (NIOSH, 2006; NIOSH, 2007; NIOSH, 2010; 

NIOSH 2011).

The Ames Laboratory site is located in Ames, Iowa and consists of a number of buildings at Iowa 

State University. Ames Laboratory has consisted of several buildings, some obtained from the 

University and some built after operations began. Over the lifetime of the facility, some of the 

buildings have been demolished. Buildings hosting radiological operations included the Physical 

Chemistry Annex I, the Physical Chemistry Annex II, the Chemistry Building (later called Gilman 

Hall), the Metallurgy Building (later called Wilhelm Hall), the Research Building (later called 

Spedding Hall), the Metals Development Building, and the Ames Laboratory Research Reactor. The 

Ames Laboratory workforce began with a few dozen researchers in 1942 and grew to almost 1000 

individuals by 1970 (Monitoring Results, 1970). Ames Laboratory remains operational to this day; 

approximately 745 people are currently involved with the Laboratory either as full- or part-time 

employees or as Laboratory associates.

The Ames Project/Laboratory played a key role in the production of strategic nuclear materials for the 

Manhattan Project and the AEC. Between mid-1942 and August 1945, more than 1,000 tons of pure 

uranium metal was supplied to the Manhattan Project. Large-scale thorium production also took place 

at Ames Laboratory from 1943 through 1953. More than 65 tons of pure thorium metal and thorium 

compounds were produced during this time period. Residual contamination resulting from these early 

large-scale uranium and thorium operations persisted throughout the 1950s and 1960s and into the 

period of this evaluation, during which time workers were potentially exposed as a result of 

remediation activities that occurred in several of the affected buildings and waste burial areas. 

Throughout its history, Ames Laboratory has conducted ongoing research work with laboratory 

quantities of various radioactive material, including plutonium, tritium, and C-14. Radionuclides 

mentioned in Gilman Hall surveys from 1967 through 1970 include Co-57, Sn-119, Ho-160, Er-169, 

Ag-110, Yb-169, tritium, and thorium (Rad Surveys, 1967-1970). Surveys in the Metals 

Development Building from 1966 through 1992 mention C-14, Nd-147, Tm-170, U-235, and natural 

uranium (Metals Development Surveys, 1966-1974; Metals Development Surveys, 1971-1992). The 

Laboratory also performed development work with larger-than-laboratory quantities of thorium and 

uranium in the Metals Development Building and Spedding Hall. These activities were ongoing 

throughout the time period of this evaluation and beyond. 

The Ames Laboratory Research Reactor (ALRR), a heavy-water-moderated reactor, operated from 

1961 through 1977. This reactor was located at the Applied Science Center (ASC), which is about a 

mile from the main campus. The reactor was decommissioned in 1978-1982. During the period of 

reactor operation and decommissioning, workers were potentially exposed to tritium and fission and 

activation products. 

Also at the ASC is the Alpha Glovebox Facility, used for studying plutonium and uranium chemistry, 

and the Waste Disposal Building, used for storing and packaging radioactive and hazardous wastes. 

Waste burial sites located in the ASC area were another potential source of worker exposures, 

particularly during remediation. In 1987, the Annex 1 refuse disposal site at the ASC was excavated 

and the contents disposed of at Hanford (Appraisal Report, 1990).
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4.2 Radiation Exposure Potential from Operations

The following subsections provide an overview of the internal and external exposure potential for the 

Ames Laboratory class under evaluation. Descriptions of facility-specific radiological operations are 

presented in more detail in Section 4.4. 

4.2.1 Internal Exposure Potential

Sources of internal radiation dose for members of the evaluated class included exposures to uranium 

and thorium and their decay products. Other sources included fission and activation products, tritium, 

and miscellaneous other radionuclides used in research. The modes of exposure were inhalation and 

ingestion during metal fabrication, research and development, and machining activities, or during the 

subsequent resuspension of these materials due to decontamination or decommissioning activities.

4.2.2 External Exposure Potential

The potential for external radiation doses from uranium, uranium decay products, thorium, and 

thorium decay products existed at the Ames Laboratory site. In addition, workers at the Ames 

Laboratory Research Reactor had the potential for external gamma and neutron exposure. 

This evaluation responds to a petition based on NIOSH determining that internal radiation exposures 

could not be reconstructed for a dose reconstruction referred to NIOSH by the Department of Labor. 

HHS will consider this determination to be sufficient without further consideration to determine that it 

is not feasible to estimate the levels of radiation doses of individual members of the class with 

sufficient accuracy. Consequently, it is not necessary for NIOSH to fully evaluate the feasibility of 

reconstructing external radiation exposures for the class of employees covered by this report. Details 

regarding external dose are, therefore, not addressed in this document. 

4.3 Time Period Associated with Radiological Operations

Per the DOE Office of Health, Safety and Security, the time period associated with DOE operations at 

Ames Laboratory is currently specified as August 13, 1942 to the present in the DOE EEOICPA 

covered facilities database (https://ehss.energy.gov/Search/Facility/ViewByName.aspx). 

As shown on the cover page of this report, there have been four previous SEC evaluation reports that 

have resulted in the DHHS designating that a class of Ames Laboratory workers be included in the 

SEC:

• SEC-00038: January 1, 1942 through December 31, 1954 (2006 designation) 

• SEC-00075: January 1, 1955 through December 31, 1970 (2007 designation) 

• SEC-00166: January 1, 1955 through December 31, 1960 (2010 designation) 

• SEC-00185: August 13, 1942 through December 31, 1970 (2011 designation) 

This current evaluation considers additional information obtained on radiological work performed at 

Ames Laboratory and the feasibility of reconstructing intakes from those operations. 
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4.4 Site Locations Associated with Radiological Operations

This section summarizes information on the major buildings of Ames Laboratory. This section ends 

with NIOSH’s conclusion regarding whether it is feasible to: (1) define boundaries between 

radiological and non-radiological areas; and (2) to characterize employee movements across the Ames 

Laboratory site.

• Chemistry Building (Gilman Hall)

The initial Ames Project work was conducted in early 1942 in the Chemistry Building. This work 

included developing the process for purifying uranium metal as well as the methods and 

equipment for increasing production. Experiments to purify uranium metal continued through 

September 1942. Pure uranium metal was being produced at a rate of 100 pounds per week by 

October. By December 1942, the chemical reduction component of the operations was moved to 

Physical Chemistry Annex 1. Uranium casting remained in the Chemistry Building until "early 

1943" when it was also moved to Annex 1. Uranium research continued in the Chemistry 

Building, including determination of uranium properties, studies of uranium corrosion, 

development of protective coatings for uranium, and development of uranium alloys and 

compounds. Other research occurring in the Chemistry Building involved development of pure 

thorium metal, thorium alloys and compounds, yttrium metal, cerium metal, and beryllium metal. 

Analytical work centered on plutonium chemistry and the radiochemistry of the separation of 

fission products from uranium and plutonium, which was conducted in the “Hot Laboratory” 

between 1942 and 1951. Radiological surveys from 1967 through 1970 suggest that laboratory 

work with radioactive materials persisted in the building at least until 1970 (Rad Surveys, 1967-

1970). Radionuclides mentioned in those surveys include Co-57, Sn-119, Ho-160, Er-169, Ag110, Yb-169, tritium, and thorium. A radiological survey of Rooms 37 and 38 conducted on 

December 13, 1982 indicates that those rooms were being cleared for transfer to the University. 

All results were background (Final Survey, 1982). The Chemistry Building was decontaminated 

and surveyed in May 1976 (Ames History, 1979). The stairwell enclosure area was 

decontaminated and returned to an unrestricted use category in 1981-1982 (Appraisal Report, 

1990). 

• Metallurgy Building (Wilhelm Hall)

The Metallurgy Building, constructed by the AEC, was completed in October 1949. The building 

housed research directed toward the development of special metals and alloys used in nuclear 

energy projects. Zircaloy was initially developed at Ames Laboratory as part of a basic study of 

the zirconium-tin alloy phase diagram. The subject of reactor coolants was studied, as were the 

heat-transfer properties of various metals and alloys. Equipment available for research, 

development, and production in metallurgy included many types of furnaces; high-vacuum 

systems; pyrometric devices; fabricating and testing machines; metallographs; X-ray 

diffractometers; and ultrasonic, spectrographic, dilatometric, and other instruments for 

examination and study of metals and alloys. A glovebox line in the Metallurgy Building was used 

to study the behavior of plutonium in molten-metal systems. 

Thorium production and research activities were moved from Physical Chemistry Annex 1 to the 

Metallurgy Building in 1949 and thorium work continued there until 1953. Poor contaminationcontrol practices and poor ventilation contributed to building contamination. However, 

contamination levels were reduced by mitigation, decontamination, remodeling, and renovation 
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projects. Contaminated ductwork was removed and disposed in the early 1990s (Hokel, 1998). 

Decontamination and contamination survey activities continued in Wilhelm Hall throughout the 

1980s and 1990s (Hokel, 1998). Contamination still exists in many interspatial areas of the 

building and in some relatively-inaccessible areas.

• Research Building (Spedding Hall)

The Research Building was constructed by the AEC and occupied in early 1951. Many metals, 

including the rare earths, were investigated for mechanical, chemical, electrical, and other 

properties, through experimental techniques that probed the inner structures and forces of the 

materials. Research facilities in the building included a 150-kV accelerator that produced 14-MeV 

neutrons; a glovebox line for radiochemistry experiments; and a “Hot Canyon.” 

The Hot Canyon, a two-story-high room, included an open-topped, shielded area called the "Cave" 

that allowed workers to use remote manipulators behind an eight-inch-thick steel wall with lead 

glass windows. Electrical, vacuum, water, gas, and compressed air lines built into the wall 

allowed workers to remotely perform experiments on highly-radioactive materials. There was no 

roof over the Cave nor was there any barrier to separate the air where the workers stood from the 

air where experiments were performed. In addition, photographs of workers in the Hot Canyon 

show them working without respiratory protection. 

Research activities included electron-beam welding, the study of the electronic structure of metals, 

as well as the separation, preparation, and measurement of properties of the rare earth metals. The 

initial research on liquid metal coolants was done at Ames Laboratory in an engineering test loop 

used in corrosion, fluid-flow, and heat transfer studies with liquid sodium.

A 1979 paper, Thorium Metal Preparation, describes a process for preparing 30 kg of thorium 

metal (Peterson, 1979). During this process, wet thorium fluoride would be treated with HF at 

high temperature in Spedding Hall. 

• Physical Chemistry Annex 1

The production of uranium metal was conducted in the Physical Chemistry Annex 1 building, 

which was an old wooden structure east of the Dairy Industries building and west of Wallace 

Road. Uranium operations began there in mid-1942 and ended on August 5, 1945, when the 

uranium purification process was transferred to industry. More than 1,000 tons of pure uranium 

and more than 300 tons of uranium scrap were produced during this period. In 1943, an openporch area was enclosed (to control dusty operations) and additions were constructed to 

accommodate increases in uranium production. Beginning in 1943, the building was also used to 

produce thorium metal until the processing equipment was transferred to the new Metallurgy 

Building in 1949 or 1950. The Physical Chemistry Annex 1 building was torn down in 1953. The 

building site was surveyed in May 1976, and designated acceptable for future construction (Ames 

History, 1979). In 1977, soil samples were taken; results showed that no further remediation was 

needed for the site (Appraisal Report, 1990). 
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• Physical Chemistry Annex 2

The Physical Chemistry Annex 2 Building was a brick fireproof structure built east of Wallace 

Road in early 1944 to house the recovery of uranium from scrap uranium metal turnings collected 

from other Manhattan Project sites. Operations in this building produced more than 300 tons of 

recovered uranium metal through December 1945. Iowa State College, the predecessor to Iowa 

State University, purchased the building in 1953 and converted it to a plumbing shop. The 

building was razed in 1972 (Ames History, 1986). Samples taken in 1988 showed uranium 

present above background concentrations in one of the bore holes, but the amount did not exceed 

EPA guidelines given in 40 CFR 192.1. It was stated that further remediation was not anticipated 

at this site (Appraisal Report, 1990). 

• Metals Development Building

Constructed in 1959-1961 (Ames Facilities, 2009), the Metals Development Building is a fourstory structure containing approximately 45,000 square feet of working space (Ames Brochure, 

undated). It was built to better enable the Ames Laboratory to conduct metal process development 

research on larger-than-laboratory scale and to evaluate the commercial feasibility of any process 

developed (Press Packet, 1960). It was also intended to provide space in which to carry out the 

pure metals program for the AEC. It was equipped with rooms used for metals fabrication, 

including rooms containing lathes, cutoff saws, grinders, hammer mills, a large extrusion press, 

and a rolling mill (Environmental Survey, 1989). Research and development activities involving 

thorium and other radionuclides have taken place in this building beginning in the 1960s and 

extending throughout the entire period of this evaluation. A 1979 paper, Thorium Metal 

Preparation, describes a process for preparing 30 kg of thorium metal (Peterson, 1979). A 

precipitation and filtering process to convert thorium nitrate to thorium fluoride was to take place 

in a hood in the Metals Development Building, either in Room 220 or 221. The wet thorium 

fluoride would be transferred to a special hood in Room 296 where it would be dried. Treatment 

with HF at high temperature would be done in Spedding Hall. The document states: “Thorium 

metal has been melted a number of times during the past few years in the arc-melting furnaces and 

the electron beam furnace without serious problems.” The paper goes on to state: “Machining, 

cutting and sampling will be done in the Special Metals Handling Facility and all turnings and 

sawdust will be included in the casting residue.” Surveys in the Metals Development Building, 

including gamma spectroscopy data from 1982, clearly indicate the presence of thorium (Rad 

Surveys, 1978-1991).

According to a 1989 DOE environmental report, high-purity metals (including depleted uranium 

and thorium) were being prepared in batches of up to 25 pounds. Small amounts of carbon-14 

were being used for diffusion studies in metals. Machining of depleted uranium and thorium 

metals was being conducted exclusively in Room 161. Radioactive metals prepared in Spedding 

Hall were also being machined in the dedicated machine shop, Room 161 (Environmental Survey, 

1989). 

• Applied Science Center (Ames Laboratory Research Reactor)

The Ames Laboratory also occupies space at the Applied Science Center (ASC), an Iowa State 

University (ISU) facility located approximately one mile northwest of the ISU main campus. The 

ASC occupies roughly 18 acres. It was the site of the Ames Laboratory Research Reactor 

(ALRR). Construction of the ALRR, a 5-MW, heavy-water-moderated research reactor, began in 
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1961; the reactor was first operated in February 1965 (Ames, 1967; Voigt, 1981). The reactor fuel 

was 93% enriched uranium-235 contained in 24 fuel assemblies in a hexagonal arrangement in a 

core 30 inches across and 25 inches high (Voigt, 1981). The reactor shielding was an irregular 

decahedral prism shape with a thermal column on one face and nine faces with beam tubes from 

which radiation beams (primarily neutrons) could be extracted and directed to experimental areas 

surrounding the reactor. Operation of the reactor resulted in airborne tritium concentrations in 

occupied spaces of the building. A routine tritium bioassay program was part of the radiation 

safety program at the reactor (Voss, 1971). Operation of the reactor ended in December 1977. At 

the time operations ended, the heavy-water coolant contained approximately 1.7 Curies of tritium 

per liter (Voigt, 1981). Decommissioning began in January 1978 and was completed in 

September 1981 (Fact Sheet, 1994). 

The ASC is also the site for the Alpha Glovebox Facility, used to conduct studies of plutonium 

and uranium chemistry. In a 1990 Environmental Protection Appraisal Report, the Alpha 

Glovebox Facility was identified as the only facility at Ames Laboratory with the potential for 

radioactive air emissions (Appraisal Report, 1990). The 1989 DOE environmental survey report 

(Environmental Survey, 1989) indicates that depleted uranium solutions prepared in this facility 

contain approximately one gram of uranium and that a total of approximately one gram of 

plutonium has been used in the facility since 1983. The Waste Disposal Building, also located at 

the ASC, is used for storage and packaging of radioactive and hazardous wastes. In 1988, the 

Blockhouse building at the ASC was removed; contaminated block, floor, and other materials 

were disposed of at Hanford. Contaminated soil and pieces of other equipment were also 

removed. Upon completion of that work, further remediation was not required (Appraisal Report, 

1990). 

The Annex 1 refuse disposal site at the ASC (consisting of dirt, concrete rubble, and pieces of 

wood) was excavated and the contents disposed of at Hanford in 1987. No radioactivity was 

found at this site when it was resampled (Appraisal Report, 1990). The Chemical Disposal Site, 

located near the ASC, was remediated in 1994 and released for unrestricted use in 1998 

(Environmental Report, 2010).

NIOSH has concluded that, although the facilities listed above are specifically identified for the use of 

AEC- or DOE-related radiological materials, documentation available to NIOSH does not indicate any 

definite boundaries between radiological and non-radiological areas for the period being evaluated. 

Furthermore, NIOSH has determined that the site-specific and claimant-specific data available for the 

time period of this evaluation are insufficient to allow NIOSH to characterize employee movements 

across the Ames Laboratory site. 

4.5 Job Descriptions Affected by Radiological Operations

NIOSH has determined that the site-specific and claimant-specific data available for Ames Laboratory 

for the time period under evaluation are insufficient to allow NIOSH to determine that any specific 

work group was not potentially exposed to radioactive material releases or possible subsequent 

contamination. NIOSH has found no specific information associated with tracking the movement of 

personnel on site, and thus cannot use job titles or duties to corroborate work in specific areas or 

associated radiological exposures. NIOSH has concluded that it has insufficient information 

associating job titles and/or job assignments with specific radiological operations or conditions. 
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Without such information, NIOSH is unable to define potential radiation exposure conditions based 

on employee job descriptions. 

5.0 Summary of Available Monitoring Data for the Proposed Class

The primary data used for determining internal exposures are derived from personal monitoring data, 

such as urinalyses, fecal samples, and whole-body counting results. If these are unavailable, the air 

monitoring data from breathing zone and general area monitoring are used to estimate the potential 

internal exposure. If personal monitoring and breathing zone area monitoring are unavailable, internal 

exposures can sometimes be estimated using more general area monitoring, process information, and 

information characterizing and quantifying the source term.

This same hierarchy is used for determining the external exposures to the cancer site. Personal 

monitoring data from film badges or thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) are the primary data used 

to determine such external exposures. If there are no personal monitoring data, exposure rate surveys, 

process knowledge, and source term modeling can sometimes be used to reconstruct the potential 

exposure. 

A more detailed discussion of the information required for dose reconstruction can be found in 

OCAS-IG-001, External Dose Reconstruction Implementation Guideline, and OCAS-IG-002, Internal 

Dose Reconstruction Implementation Guideline. These documents are available at: 

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ocas/ocasdose.html. 

5.1 Data Capture Efforts and Sources Reviewed 

As a standard practice, NIOSH completed an extensive database and Internet search for information 

regarding Ames Laboratory that included applying over three hundred unique keywords in an 

online search engine. The database search included the DOE Legacy Management Considered Sites 

database, the DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI SciTech Connect) database, 

the Energy Citations database, Hanford Declassified Document Retrieval System, and the DOD 

Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC). In addition to general Internet searches, the NIOSH 

Internet search included OSTI OpenNet Advanced searches, OSTI Information Bridge Fielded 

searches, Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Agency-wide Documents Access and Management 

(ADAMS) web searches, the DOE Office of Human Radiation Experiments website, DOE-National 

Nuclear Security Administration-Nevada Site Office-search, DOE Price-Anderson Noncompliance 

Tracking System, and the DOE Occurrence Reporting Processing System (ORPS). Attachment One 

contains a summary of Ames Laboratory documents. The summary specifically identifies data 

capture details and general descriptions of the documents retrieved.

Three members of the ORAU Team traveled to the Ames Laboratory site during the week of June 

12-16, 2017 in order to physically examine and capture relevant documents for this evaluation. 

In addition to the database and Internet searches listed above, NIOSH identified and reviewed 

numerous data sources to determine information relevant to determining the feasibility of dose 

reconstruction for the class of employees under evaluation. This included determining the availability 

of information on personal monitoring, area monitoring, industrial processes, and radiation source 

materials. The following subsections summarize the data sources identified and reviewed by NIOSH.
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5.2 Previous Dose Reconstructions

NIOSH reviewed its NIOSH DCAS Claims Tracking System (referred to as NOCTS) to locate 

EEOICPA-related dose reconstructions that might provide information relevant to the petition 

evaluation. Table 5-1 summarizes the results of this review. (NOCTS data available as of November 

8, 2017.) 

Table 5-1: No. of Ames Laboratory Claims Submitted Under the Dose Reconstruction Rule

Description Totals

Total number of claims submitted for dose reconstruction 252

Total number of claims submitted for energy employees who worked during the period under evaluation 

(January 1, 1971 through December 31, 1989) 123

Total number of claims submitted for energy employees who started their employment during the period 

under evaluation (January 1, 1971 through December 31, 1989) 59

Number of dose reconstructions completed for energy employees who worked during the period under 

evaluation (i.e., the number of such claims completed by NIOSH and submitted to the Department of Labor 

for final approval).

97

Number of claims for which internal dosimetry records were obtained for the identified years in the 

evaluated class definition 16

Number of claims for which external dosimetry records were obtained for the identified years in the 

evaluated class definition 21

NIOSH reviewed each claim that fell within the period under evaluation to determine whether internal 

and/or external personal monitoring records could be obtained for the employee. As indicated in 

Table 5-1, of the total number of claims submitted for energy employees who worked within the time 

period under this evaluation, 16 (13%) contain internal monitoring data and 21 (17%) contain external 

monitoring data. 

5.3 Employee Interviews

To obtain additional information in support of its 2006, 2007, and 2010 evaluations of Petitions 

SEC-00038, SEC-00075, and SEC-00166, NIOSH interviewed multiple former Ames Laboratory 

employees. Details regarding these interviews may be found in the SEC-00038, SEC-00075, and 

SEC-00166 Ames Laboratory evaluation reports (NIOSH, 2006; NIOSH, 2007; NIOSH, 2010). 

Additional interviews for the specific purpose of supporting this evaluation were not conducted. 
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5.4 Internal Monitoring Data

Current and historical internal dosimetry results are maintained at the Ames Laboratory. A review of 

all documents and data available to NIOSH identified some bioassay data for the period from January 

1, 1942 through December 31, 2005. 

NIOSH has identified 90 bioassay (urine) samples collected in March 1952 and analyzed for thorium 

by the AEC (Samples Results, 1952-1953). NIOSH has also identified approximately 70 bioassay 

(urine) samples collected and analyzed for thorium by the AEC in 1953 (Samples Results, 1952-

1953). NIOSH has not identified any routine thorium bioassay samples or results after 1953.

Uranium bioassays were conducted during the production era in 1944 and 1945 (Industrial Medicine, 

1951).

During and after the operation of the Ames Laboratory Research Reactor, the laboratory instituted a 

bioassay program for tritium (Tritium Results, 1968-1975; Ames, 1973) for “[a]ll persons who have 

been exposed to tritium (HTO) during their routine operations of the year” (Tritium Results, 1968-

1975). Tritium results have been obtained for the years 1968 through 1981 (Tritium Results, 1968-

1975; Tritium Results, 1971; Tritium Results, 1971-1974; Tritium Results, 1975-1978; Tritium 

Results, 1977; Tritium Results, 1965-1981). 

Other than tritium bioassay through 1981, NIOSH has not identified any indication of a routine 

internal monitoring program for members of the class under evaluation or that is applicable for dose 

reconstruction for members of the proposed class. 

5.5 External Monitoring Data

As stated in Section 4.2.2, this evaluation responds to a petition based on NIOSH determining that 

internal radiation exposures could not be reconstructed for a dose reconstruction referred to NIOSH by 

the DOL. External dose reconstruction is not addressed in this evaluation.

5.6 Workplace Monitoring Data

NIOSH has not located sufficient air monitoring data that would allow it to estimate airborne 

radioactivity concentrations in all buildings for the time period under evaluation, although there is 

evidence that some air monitoring did take place. Examples of gamma spectroscopy measurements of 

air monitoring samples from Spedding Hall and the ALRR stack have been found for years 1980-1982 

(Air Data, 1981-1982). These data appear to be from quarterly environmental samples and are not 

necessarily representative of the workers’ breathing air. Room air sample data from Spedding Hall 

and Wilhelm Hall, primarily for years 1986 through 1991, are also available (Air Data, 1986-2008). 

NIOSH cannot confirm that these samples are representative of the workers’ breathing zones. Air 

sampling results in the vicinity of the Alpha Glovebox Facility plutonium gloveboxes, from 

1983-1986 have been captured (Air Data, 1983-1986). These data include post-HEPA filter exhaust 

air monitoring and “breathing zone” samples. It is unclear whether these samples were taken under 

static conditions or during active operations. The Alpha Glovebox Facility is attached to the west side 

of the Waste Disposal Building located north of the Applied Science Center (Appraisal Report, 1990). 
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NIOSH has not located any air sampling data for tritium. Notes in bioassay logbooks indicate certain 

bioassay samples were commented as “RR H3 above MPC special samples” (Tritium Results, 1968-

1975), indicating that those samples were collected after air concentrations associated with the 

research reactor exceeded maximum permissible concentrations. It is assumed that the trigger for 

theses samples was routine air monitoring, although such monitoring records have not been located. 

Extensive smear data are available for the period under evaluation. These include, but are not limited 

to, post-remediation assessments, routine surveys of clean areas, assessment of known 

highly-contaminated items and areas, and release of items and areas for unrestricted use. Health 

physics smear survey data are available for Wilhelm Hall, with dates ranging from 1958-2014 

(Wilhelm Surveys, 1958-2014). Similar data for the Metals Development Building are also available 

from 1971 through 1993 (Metals Development Surveys, 1971-1992). Health physics survey data for 

Spedding Hall are available for years 1966 through 1991 (Spedding Surveys, 1966-1991).

5.7 Radiological Source Term Data

Materials inventory reports are available for the site for the period December 1970 through December 

1978, and for June 1981. These reports do not show details regarding the specific uses for each 

material, but they do summarize the on-site total inventories for thorium, enriched uranium, normal 

uranium, depleted uranium, and plutonium (Material Status, 1969-1974; Material Status, 1974-1978 

and 1981). 

The site thorium inventory remained constant from December 1970 through at least December 1978, 

at about 300 kg. The inventory in June 1981 was 389 kg, an increase of about 90 kg. The enriched 

uranium inventory was around 40 kg in 1970 and decreased over the next 10 years to only about 0.2 

kg in 1980. The depleted uranium inventory remained reasonably consistent over this time period at 

between 350 and 390 kg. The plutonium inventory ranged between about 25 grams in 1970 to about 

16 grams in 1981. The site has not been able to provide thorium inventory records for other years. 

6.0 Feasibility of Dose Reconstruction for the Proposed Class

42 C.F.R. § 83.14(b) states that HHS will consider a NIOSH determination that there was insufficient 

information to complete a dose reconstruction, as indicated in this present case, to be sufficient,

without further consideration, to conclude that it is not feasible to estimate the levels of radiation 

doses of individual members of the class with sufficient accuracy.

In the case of a petition submitted to NIOSH under 42 C.F.R. § 83.9(b), NIOSH has already 

determined that a dose reconstruction cannot be completed for an employee at the DOE or AWE 

facility. This determination by NIOSH provides the basis for the petition by the affected claimant. 

Per § 83.14(a), the NIOSH-proposed class defines those employees who, based on completed 

research, are similarly affected and for whom, as a class, dose reconstruction is similarly not feasible.

In accordance with § 83.14(a), NIOSH may establish a second class of co-workers at the facility for 

whom NIOSH believes that dose reconstruction is similarly infeasible, but for whom additional 

research and analysis is required. If so identified, NIOSH would address this second class in a 

separate SEC evaluation rather than delay consideration of the claim currently under evaluation (see 

Section 10). This would allow NIOSH, the Board, and HHS to complete, without delay, their 

consideration of the class that includes a claimant for whom NIOSH has already determined a dose 
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reconstruction cannot be completed, and whose only possible remedy under EEOICPA is the addition 

of a class of employees to the SEC.

This section of the report summarizes research findings by which NIOSH determined that it lacked 

sufficient information to complete the relevant dose reconstruction and on which basis it has defined 

the class of employees for which dose reconstruction is not feasible. NIOSH’s determination relies on 

the same statutory and regulatory criteria that govern consideration of all SEC petitions.

6.1 Feasibility of Estimating Internal Exposures

In its evaluation of SEC-00185, NIOSH defined a single class that included all Ames Laboratory 

workers from August 13, 1942 through December 31, 1970. That class combined the classes from 

three previous Ames Laboratory SEC evaluations in which NIOSH concluded that it is not feasible to 

estimate, with sufficient accuracy, certain internal exposures prior to January 1, 1971 (and certain 

external doses prior to 1953). 

In its evaluation of SEC-00038, NIOSH determined that internal radiation doses from uranium can be 

reconstructed; however, NIOSH determined that internal radiation doses from thorium cannot be 

reconstructed from 1942 through 1954. In its evaluation of SEC-00075, NIOSH determined that 

internal radiation doses received by remediation workers in Wilhelm Hall for the time period from 

January 1, 1955 through December 31, 1970 could not be reconstructed with sufficient accuracy due 

to the lack of applicable bioassay data, air monitoring data, and source-term information for 

estimating thorium intakes.

In its evaluation of SEC-00166, NIOSH determined that internal radiation doses from research work 

in Spedding Hall cannot be reconstructed due to the lack of sufficient data or process information for 

estimating intakes.

NIOSH has evaluated the available personnel and workplace monitoring data and source-term 

information and has determined that there are insufficient data for estimating internal exposures, as 

described below. 

Other than tritium bioassay through 1981, NIOSH has not identified any indication of a routine 

internal monitoring program for members of the class under evaluation that is applicable for dose 

reconstruction for members of the proposed class. For ALRR workers with available tritium bioassay 

results, NIOSH may be able to reconstruct tritium intakes, but there are insufficient data to reconstruct 

potential intakes of fission and activation products. 

Although air monitoring data have been identified that are applicable to the period under evaluation 

(as indicated in Section 5.6), NIOSH does not find these data sufficient to estimate internal exposures 

with sufficient accuracy for all workers during this period. The majority of the air monitoring data are 

from environmental sampling and are not necessarily representative of workers’ breathing air. 

Although some “breathing zone” air samples were identified in the vicinity of the Alpha Glovebox 

Facility for a few years, it is unclear whether these samples were taken under static conditions or 

during active operations. NIOSH cannot assume that these air sample data represent the breathing air 

for all workers. 
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The available surface smear data include post-remediation assessments, routine surveys of clean areas, 

assessments of known highly-contaminated items and areas, and release of items and areas for 

unrestricted use. The post-remediation smears are not likely representative of surface contamination 

during remediation. Data from routine surveys of clean areas may not be representative of all 

potentially-contaminated areas. For the assessments in known highly-contaminated areas, workers 

would have likely taken some special precautions, such as wearing respiratory protection. In addition 

to these uncertainties, estimating intakes from surface contamination requires assumptions regarding

resuspension factors, building-ventilation rates, uniformity of contamination, and occupancy times. 

NIOSH finds that sufficiently accurate intake estimates are infeasible given the uncertainties 

associated with all of these unknown variables. 

The available source term data from December 1970 through December 1978, and for June 1981, 

suggest that sufficient quantities of various radioactive materials were present on-site during this time 

to pose a significant potential risk of worker exposure. Detailed information regarding the use of 

these inventories is unavailable. Inventories for the remainder of the period under evaluation (January 

1979 through December 1989) are unavailable.

NIOSH has concluded that the available internal dose monitoring data, workplace monitoring data, 

and source term data are insufficient for dose reconstruction purposes. 

NIOSH is continuing its evaluation of post-1989 operations at Ames Laboratory. It appears that the 

magnitude of radiological operations was limited during this time period. In a DOE Health Physics 

Appraisal Report dated April 17-21, 1989 (Appraisal Report, 1989), is the following statement: 

There presently is only limited work involving radioisotopes at the Laboratory. The only major 

user of radioisotopes at this moment is the ICP (Inductively Coupled Plasma) operation. 

This ICP operation is the operation previously described in this document that took place in the Alpha 

Glovebox Facility. It involved depleted uranium solutions containing approximately one gram of 

uranium; approximately one gram of plutonium had been used in the facility from 1983 through 1989. 

Although this operation was identified during the April 17-21, 1989 appraisal as the “only major user 

of radioisotopes at this moment,” it is evident that other operations involving radioactive materials 

were ongoing at this time and continued well into the 1990s and beyond. For example, according to a 

DOE environmental report from March 1989, high-purity metals (including depleted uranium and 

thorium) were being prepared in batches of up to 25 pounds. Small amounts of carbon-14 were being 

used for diffusion studies in metals. Machining of depleted uranium and thorium metals was being 

conducted (Environmental Survey, 1989). 

The primary stated purpose of the 1989 DOE Health Physics Appraisal Report was to review the HP 

programs with respect to DOE Order 5480.11. The report concluded, among other things, that 

identification of controlled areas, radiation areas, and contamination areas had yet to be performed. 

The Order, effective January 1, 1989, required full compliance by January 1, 1990. The agenda for 

the Health Physics Appraisal included HP administration, exposure control, control of radioactive 

material, dosimetry, instrumentation, radiological operations, and training. NIOSH is continuing to 

evaluate the post-1989 period at Ames Laboratory for internal dose reconstruction feasibility as the 

Ames Laboratory Site Profile (ORAUT-TKBS-0055) is being revised. If additional dose 

reconstruction infeasibilities are identified during this revision process, NIOSH may recommend 

further expansion of the SEC class. 
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Although worker interviews indicated that few personnel worked in more than one location, there 

were no physical boundaries between the various buildings. Workers commuted freely between 

buildings. In addition, employment data do not associate individuals with specific buildings (Leiton, 

2010). Therefore, NIOSH recommends that the SEC class definition include all employees and all 

areas of the Ames Laboratory. 

Although NIOSH found that it is not possible to completely reconstruct internal radiation doses for the 

period from January 1, 1971 through December 31, 1989, NIOSH intends to use any internal 

monitoring data that may become available for an individual claim (and that can be interpreted using 

existing NIOSH dose reconstruction processes or procedures). For example, if tritium bioassay data 

are available for a claimant who worked at the ALRR, those data may be used to reconstruct tritium 

intakes. Dose reconstructions for individuals employed at Ames Laboratory during the period from 

January 1, 1971 through December 31, 1989, but who do not qualify for inclusion in the SEC, may be 

performed using these data as appropriate.

6.2 Feasibility of Estimating External Exposures

This evaluation responds to a petition based on NIOSH determining that internal radiation exposures 

could not be reconstructed for a dose reconstruction referred to NIOSH by DOL. As noted above, 

DHHS will consider this determination to be sufficient without further consideration to determine that 

it is not feasible to estimate the levels of radiation doses of individual members of the class with 

sufficient accuracy. Consequently, it is not necessary for NIOSH to fully evaluate the feasibility of 

reconstructing external radiation exposures for the class of workers covered by this report.

6.3 Class Parameters Associated with Infeasibility

DHHS has designated an SEC class for Ames Laboratory employees for the period from August 13, 

1942 through December 31, 1970 (DHHS, 2011). Through the course of ongoing dose reconstruction 

and continued data capture efforts, NIOSH has determined that the inability to estimate, with 

sufficient accuracy, the total internal dose for Ames Laboratory employees extends through December 

31, 1989. Therefore, NIOSH recommends that the NIOSH-proposed class include the period from 

January 1, 1971 through December 31, 1989. 

Based on the information available to NIOSH, it cannot associate Ames Laboratory personnel with 

specific buildings. There were no barriers between the buildings and certain personnel, such as 

maintenance personnel, may have worked in more than one building. NIOSH is unable to define 

individual employee exposure scenarios based on specific work locations within the Ames 

Laboratory. Therefore, NIOSH recommends that the proposed class definition include all areas of 

Ames Laboratory during the specified time-period. 

NIOSH has also found insufficient documentation associating job titles and/or job assignments with 

specific radiological operations or conditions. Without this information, NIOSH is unable to define 

the proposed SEC class based on job descriptions. NIOSH therefore recommends that the proposed 

class include personnel having worked in any area of the Ames Laboratory and include all job 

descriptions.
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7.0 Summary of Feasibility Findings for Petition SEC-00245

This report evaluates the feasibility for completing dose reconstructions for employees at Ames 

Laboratory from January 1, 1971 through December 31, 1989. NIOSH determined that members of 

this class may have received radiation exposures from uranium, thorium, fission and activation 

products, tritium, and various other radionuclides used in research and development. NIOSH lacks 

sufficient information, such as internal dose monitoring, air monitoring, source term, and 

contamination monitoring data that would allow it to estimate the potential cumulative internal 

exposures to which the proposed class may have been exposed.

NIOSH has documented herein that it cannot complete the dose reconstructions related to this petition. 

The basis of this finding demonstrates that NIOSH does not have access to sufficient information to 

estimate either the maximum radiation dose incurred by any member of the class or to estimate such 

radiation doses more precisely than a maximum dose estimate.

NIOSH finds that it is not feasible to estimate, with sufficient accuracy, the internal radiation doses 

received by members of the proposed class of employees from January 1, 1971 through December 31, 

1989. With the implementation of DOE Order 5480.11, improvements to the site internal dose 

assessment programs were likely after 1989. NIOSH is continuing to evaluate the post-1989 period. 

Although NIOSH found that it is not possible to completely reconstruct radiation doses for the 

proposed class, NIOSH intends to use any internal and external monitoring data that may become 

available for an individual claim (and that can be interpreted using existing NIOSH dose 

reconstruction processes or procedures). Therefore, dose reconstructions for individuals employed at 

Ames Laboratory during the period from January 1, 1971 through December 31, 1989, but who do not 

qualify for inclusion in the SEC, may be performed using these data as appropriate.

8.0 Evaluation of Health Endangerment for Petition SEC-00245

The health endangerment determination for the class of employees covered by this evaluation report is 

governed by EEOICPA and 42 C.F.R. §83.14(b) and §83.13(c)(3). Pursuant to these requirements, if 

it is not feasible to estimate with sufficient accuracy radiation doses for members of the class, NIOSH 

must determine that there is a reasonable likelihood that such radiation doses may have endangered 

the health of members of the class. The regulations require NIOSH to assume that any duration of 

unprotected exposure may have endangered the health of members of a class when it has been 

established that the class may have been exposed to radiation during a discrete incident likely to have 

involved levels of exposure similarly high to those occurring during nuclear criticality incidents. If 

the occurrence of such an exceptionally high-level exposure has not been established, then NIOSH is 

required to specify that health was endangered for those employees who were employed for a number 

of work days aggregating at least 250 work days within the parameters established for the class or in 

combination with work days within the parameters established for one or more other classes of 

employees in the SEC. 

NIOSH has determined that members of the class were not exposed to radiation during a discrete 

incident likely to have involved levels of exposure similarly high to those occurring during nuclear 

criticality incidents. However, the evidence reviewed in this evaluation indicates that some workers in 

the class may have accumulated chronic radiation exposures through intakes of uranium and thorium 

(and their progeny), and other radionuclides as well as direct exposure to radioactive materials. 
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Consequently, NIOSH is specifying that health was endangered for those workers covered by this 

evaluation who were employed for a number of work days aggregating at least 250 work days within 

the parameters established for this class or in combination with work days within the parameters 

established for one or more other classes of employees in the SEC.

9.0 NIOSH-Proposed Class for Petition SEC-00245

The evaluation defines a single class of employees for which NIOSH cannot estimate radiation doses 

with sufficient accuracy. This class includes all employees of the Department of Energy, its 

predecessor agencies, and their contractors and subcontractors who worked in any area at the Ames 

Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, during the period from January 1, 1971 through December 31, 1989, for a 

number of work days aggregating at least 250 work days, occurring either solely under this 

employment or in combination with work days within the parameters established for one or more 

other classes of employees included in the Special Exposure Cohort. 

10.0 Evaluation of Second Similar Class

In accordance with §83.14(a), NIOSH may establish a second class of co-workers at the facility, 

similar to the class defined in Section 9.0, for whom NIOSH believes that dose reconstruction may not 

be feasible, and for whom additional research and analyses are required. If a second class is 

identified, it would require additional research and analyses. Such a class would be addressed in a 

separate SEC evaluation rather than delay consideration of the current claim. At this time, NIOSH has 

not identified a second similar class of employees at the Ames Laboratory for whom dose 

reconstruction may not be feasible. NIOSH will continue to review dose reconstructions and 

associated approaches for Ames Laboratory for the post-1989 period at the site. Operations that 

occurred after this date appear to have involved relatively small amounts of radioactive materials. In 

addition, with the implementation of DOE Order 5480.11, improvements to the internal dose 

assessment programs were likely after 1989. NIOSH is continuing to evaluate the post-1989 period. 

If necessary, an 83.14 evaluation will be performed to include additional years in the SEC. 
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11.0 References

42 C.F.R. pt. 81, Guidelines for Determining the Probability of Causation Under the Energy 

Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000; Final Rule, Federal 

Register/Vol. 67, No. 85/Thursday, p 22,296; May 2, 2002; SRDB Ref ID: 19391

42 C.F.R. pt. 82, Methods for Radiation Dose Reconstruction Under the Energy Employees 

Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000; Final Rule; May 2, 2002; SRDB Ref ID: 

19392 

42 C.F.R. pt. 83, Procedures for Designating Classes of Employees as Members of the Special 

Exposure Cohort Under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 

2000; Final Rule; May 28, 2004; SRDB Ref ID: 22001

42 U.S.C. §§ 7384-7385 [EEOICPA], Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation 

Program Act of 2000; as amended; DCAS website

Air Data, 1981-1982, Composite Air Samples: Spedding Hall and ALRR, Ames Laboratory; various 

dates and names in 1981-1982; SRDB Ref ID: 167091 

Air Data, 1983-1986, Air Sample Data Sheets: Alpha Facility Plutonium Glovebox, Ames Laboratory; 

various dates in 1983-1986; SRDB Ref ID: 167144 

Air Data, 1986-2008, Air Sample Data Sheets: Wilhelm Hall, Ames Laboratory; various dates in 

1986-2008; SRDB Ref ID: 146744 

Ames, 1967, Ames Laboratory - Iowa State University 25th Year Open House; U.S. Atomic Energy 

Commission, Iowa State University, Ames Laboratory; April 7-8, 1967; SRDB Ref ID: 18830 

Ames, 1973, Whole-Body Internal Dose Assessments of Tritium and Tritium Dose Calculation 

Procedures; Ames Laboratory; December 12, 1973; SRDB Ref ID: 25454, pdf pp. 2-5 

Ames Brochure, undated, Iowa State University Institute for Atomic Research, Ames Laboratory; 

undated but likely early 1960s from context; SRDB Ref ID: 18856 

Ames Facilities, 2009, Historical & Architectural Survey & Evaluation: Facilities of the Ames 

Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Iowa State University Campus, AKAY Consulting, Boone, 

Iowa for Section 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act Compliance Project; June 1, 2009; 

SRDB Ref ID: 80590, PDF p. 97 

Ames History, 1979, History and Current Radiological Condition of the Ames Laboratory, Ames 

Laboratory; December 3, 1979; SRDB Ref ID: 18840 

Ames History, 1986, The Building of the Ames Laboratory, Ames Laboratory; October 1986; SRDB 

Ref ID: 18860 

Appraisal Report, 1982, Health Protection Appraisal Report, Ames Laboratory; Ames, Iowa; U.S. 

Department of Energy, Chicago Operations Office; November 15, 1982; SRDB Ref ID: 167125 
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Appraisal Report, 1984, Health Physics Appraisal Report, Ames Laboratory; Ames, Iowa; U.S. 

Department of Energy, Chicago Operations Office; June 1, 1984; SRDB Ref ID: 167126

Appraisal Report, 1989, Health Physics/Emergency Preparedness Appraisal Report, Ames 

Laboratory; Ames, Iowa; U.S. Department of Energy, Chicago Operations Office; June 13, 1989; 

SRDB Ref ID: 167113

Appraisal Report, 1990, Environmental Protection Appraisal Report, Ames Laboratory; Ames, Iowa; 

U.S. Department of Energy, Chicago Operations Office; May 11, 1990; SRDB Ref ID: 167115

Changing Scene, 1974-1975, Changing Scene Highlights, 1974-1975, Ames Laboratory, the U.S. 

Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA), and the Energy and Mineral Resources 

Research Institute at Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa; 1976; SRDB Ref ID: 167078

DHHS, 2011, HHS Designation of Additional Members of the Special Exposure Cohort under the 

Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000: Designating a Class of 

Employees from Ames Laboratory at Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, U.S. Department of Health 

and Human Services; October 18, 2011; SRDB Ref ID: 141455

DOE, 1988, DOE Order 5480.11, Radiation Protection for Occupational Workers, U.S. Department 

of Energy, Office of Health, Safety and Security; December 21, 1988; SRDB Ref ID: Publicly 

available: https://www.directives.doe.gov/directives-documents/5400-series/5480.11-BOrder

Environmental Report, 2010, Annual Site Environmental Report, Calendar Year 2010, IS-5197, 

UC-20e, Ames Laboratory; 2010; SRDB Ref ID: 166858, PDF p. 35

Environmental Survey, 1989, Environmental Survey Preliminary Report, Ames Laboratory, Ames, 

Iowa, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC; Environment, Safety and Health Office of 

Environmental Audit; March 1989; SRDB Ref ID: 166866

Fact Sheet, 1977, Fact Sheet: Ames Laboratory Research Reactor, Ames Laboratory; June 15, 1977; 

SRDB Ref ID: 167076

Fact Sheet, 1994, Fact Sheet: Ames Laboratory Research Reactor, Ames Laboratory; January 24, 

1994; SRDB Ref ID: 167079

Final Survey, 1982, Final Survey: 37-38 Gilman Hall, Ames Laboratory; December 13, 1982; SRDB 

Ref ID: 146718, PDF pp. 12-14

Hokel, 1998, An Assessment of the Causes, Mitigation Efforts, and Current Status of Th-232, U-238, 

and Beryllium Contamination in Wilhelm Hall at Ames Laboratory, B. W. Hokel. J. H. Withers, W. P. 

Waters, and K. J. Ewing; Ames Laboratory; April 1998; SRDB Ref ID: 18848

Industrial Medicine, 1951, Industrial Medicine on the Plutonium Project: Survey and Collected 

Papers, National Nuclear Energy Series, Manhattan Project Technical Section; Division IV –

Plutonium Project Record, Volume 20; U.S. Atomic Energy Commission; 1951; SRDB Ref ID: 739. 

PDF pp. 267-279

Leiton, 2010, Proposed SEC Class Definition for Ames Laboratory, correspondence to Stuart 

Hinnefeld, OCAS; Rachel P. Leiton, Department of Labor; July 20, 2010; OSA Ref ID: 112217
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Material Status, 1969-1974, U.S. Atomic Energy Commission Material Status Reports, completed by 

Ames Laboratory; various dates in 1969-1974; SRDB Ref ID: 167168

Material Status, 1974-1978 and 1981, U.S. Atomic Energy Commission Material Status Reports, 

completed by Ames Laboratory; various dates in July 1974-1978, and April 1 - June 30, 1981; SRDB 

Ref ID: 167166

Metals Development Surveys, 1966-1974, Health Physics Surveys of the Metals Development 

Building, Ames Laboratory; various surveyor names and dates ranging from 1966 to 1974; SRDB Ref 

ID: 146608

Metals Development Surveys, 1971-1992, Health Physics Surveys of the Metals Development 

Building, Ames Laboratory; various surveyor names and dates ranging from 1966 to 1974; SRDB Ref 

ID: 146677

Monitoring Program, 1974, Personnel Monitoring Program – 1974, Ames Laboratory; 1974 SRDB 

Ref ID: 25769

Monitoring Results, 1970, Annual Summaries of Radiation Exposures; radiation exposure summaries 

for calendar year 1970; SRDB Ref ID: 13801

NIOSH, 2006, SEC Petition Evaluation Report for Petition SEC-00038, Ames Laboratory; National 

Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH); April 9, 2006; SRDB Ref ID: 94024

NIOSH, 2007, SEC Petition Evaluation Report for Petition SEC-00075, Ames Laboratory; National 

Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH); May 9, 2007; SRDB Ref ID: 94026

NIOSH, 2010, SEC Petition Evaluation Report for Petition SEC-00166, Ames Laboratory; National 

Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH); July 26, 2010; SRDB Ref ID: 94025

NIOSH, 2011, SEC Petition Evaluation Report for Petition SEC-00185, Ames Laboratory; National 

Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH); June 7, 2011; SRDB Ref ID: 99020

ORAUT-TKBS-0055, Site Profile for Ames Laboratory, Rev. 03, Oak Ridge Associated Universities; 

January 3, 2012; SRDB Ref ID: 106103

Peterson, 1979, Thorium Metal Preparation, D. T. Peterson; Ames Laboratory; December 11, 1979; 

SRDB Ref ID: 167137

Press Packet, 1960, Information for Press, Radio & TV: Construction of Metals Process Development 

Building, Ames Laboratory; January 25, 1960; SRDB Ref ID: 167171, PDF p. 35

Project Summaries, 1975, Brief Summaries of Individual Projects at Ames Laboratory, Ames 

Laboratory; various authors and dates in 1975; submitted to the Smithsonian Institution Science 

Information Exchange on October 28, 1975; SRDB Ref ID: 167128

Rad Surveys, 1967-1970, Health Physics Survey Reports for the Chemistry Building, 1967-1970 , 

Ames Laboratory; various dates and names from 1967 to 1970, SRDB Ref ID: 146718, PDF pp. 2-11
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Rad Surveys, 1978-1991, Radiological Survey Results from the Metals Development Building, Ames 

Laboratory; various dates from 1978 to 1991, SRDB Ref ID: 167142 

Samples Results, 1952-1953, Various Urine, Air Dust, and Slag Samples (1952-1953) for Ames 

Laboratory; sample dates ranging from March 1952 through May 1953; SRDB Ref ID: 8966 

Site Profile Review, 2013, Review of the NIOSH Site Profile for the Ames Laboratory, SCA-TRSP2013-0044, Rev. 0, S. Cohen & Associates for the Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker 

Health, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; August 14, 2013; SRDB Ref ID: 

168134 

Spedding Surveys, 1966-1991, Health Physics Survey Reports for Spedding Hall, Ames Laboratory; 

various surveyor names and dates ranging from 1966 to 1991; SRDB Ref ID: 46681 

Tritium Results, 1965-1981, Ames Laboratory Internal Dose Records 1965-1981, Compilation of 

Ames data by Oak Ridge Associated Universities completed in 2006; SRDB Ref ID: 29232 

Tritium Results, 1968-1975, Tritium Urine Data Results (1968-1975) and Bioassay Procedure; 

samples taken from 1968 through 1975; SRDB Ref ID: 25456 and 25167 

Tritium Results, 1971, Tritium Urine Data Results (1971); samples counted from April 1971 through 

November 1971; SRDB Ref ID: 25454, pdf pp. 6-10 

Tritium Results, 1971-1974, Tritium Results (1971-1974); results for 1971 through 1974; SRDB Ref 

ID: 25103 

Tritium Results, 1975-1978, Tritium Bioassay Results (1975-1978); results for 1975 through 1978; 

Ref ID: 25458 

Tritium Results, 1977, Tritium Urine Data Results (3rd Quarter of 1977); results for 1977, 3rd Quarter; 

SRDB Ref ID: 25463

Voigt, 1981, Final Report-Decommissioning of the Ames Laboratory Research Reactor; Adolf F. 

Voigt; December 1981; SRDB Ref ID: 25824 

Voss, 1971, Health Physics Memorandum-Bioassay-Program for Monitoring Personnel for Tritium 

with Sources of Tritium at the Ames Laboratory; M. D. Voss; September 1, 1971; SRDB Ref ID: 

25796 

Wilhelm Surveys, 1958-2014, Wilhelm Hall Radiological Survey Reports, 1986-2014, Ames 

Laboratory; various locations and dates in 1958-2014; SRDB Ref ID: 151843 
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Attachment One: Data Capture Synopsis

Table A1-1: Summary of Holdings in the SRDB for Ames Laboratory

Data Capture Information General Description of Documents Captured Date Completed Uploaded to 

SRDB

Primary Site/Company Name: Ames Laboratory

DOE; 1942-present 

[name redacted], CSP, CHMM, Manager Environmental, 

Safety, Health and Assurance

[phone number redacted]

Other Site Names: 

Iowa State 

Iowa State University

Physical Size of the Site: 

The three major buildings of the Ames Laboratory had 

approximately 2.4 million square feet under roof, in addition 

to two smaller waste storage buildings. The Ames Laboratory 

Research Reactor, situated on 44 acres, had 40,800 square 

feet under roof. The waste storage area comprises 

approximately two acres.

Site Population:

The total number of Ames personnel varied greatly over the 

years. During the Manhattan Engineer District period 102 

people were monitored for radiation exposure. In 1973, 648 

personnel were employed by the Ames Laboratory, of whom 

139 were monitored for radiation exposure. Additionally, 

there were 671 visitors to the laboratory in 1973. In 1985, 

there were 403 employees of the laboratory of whom 160 

were monitored for radiation exposure. In 1991, 107 

personnel were monitored for radiation exposure. In 2000, 

122 personnel were monitored for radiation exposure.

Personnel dosimetry data, radiation protection plan, internal audit 

corrective actions, plutonium experiment in Spedding Hall, radiological 

surveys, radiochemistry manual, air sample data, facility floor plans, 

Ames Laboratory historical and descriptive documentation, incident 

reports, remarks on the hydrates of thorium tetrafluoride, diffraction units 

and the monitoring of personnel using these units (1959-1960), 

radioactive waste deposit to Hanford, research reactor decommissioning 

progress reports 1978-1981, Ames Laboratory research reactor 

radionuclide concentrations in sludge and concrete, site annual 

environmental reports 1974-2004, specifications for film badge service 

contract 1965, thorium production methods, status of TH-232, U-238, 

health physics aspects of the neutron generator, application for license to 

possess and store only special nuclear materials in the form of fuel plates, 

bioassay analysis results, bioassay procedure and results for tritium, 

cesium from pollucite by aluminum reduction, change in film badge 

MDA and summary 1957, chemistry research reports, criticality safety 

committee requirements, design and operation of a pilot plant for 

purification of thorium, development of uranium metal, Gilman Hall 

radiological survey reports 1983-2015, hand film dosimetry, hazards 

associated with thorium metallurgy, health physics activities reports, 

activities of the plutonium project, internal dosimetry 1966-1970, 

technical basis documents, Landauer exposure reports, letters written by 

Milo Voss 1950-1961, magnesium-uranium system, x-ray machine 

exposure reports, neutron film badge data, personnel listing and exposure 

summary data, Ames photographs, Pu hot cell surveys, radiation dose 

from residual tritium, reactor operations monthly reports, sewer 

contamination incident report, shipments of normal uranium as uranyl 

nitrate and thorium as oxalate, soil survey, Spedding Hall radiation 

incidents, history of Ames Laboratory, state of the laboratory reports, 

thorium metal preparation, tritium bioassay results, whole body internal 

dose assessments of tritium, Wilhelm Hall surveys, and an x-ray exposure 

incident report.

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Data Capture Information General Description of Documents Captured Date Completed Uploaded to 

SRDB

State Contacted: Iowa Department of Public Health 

[name redacted], Chief Bureau of Radiological Health [phone

number redacted]

No relevant data identified. 06/03/2010 0

Albany Research Center Quarterly summary research reports in metallurgy for 1952 and 1955, 

metallography of thorium, separation of Ra-228 in thorium metal 

production, production and separation of U-233, thorium-carbon alloys, 

quarterly summary research reports in chemistry 1952-1955, semi-annual 

summary research reports in chemistry for 1955 and 1957, uranium-zinc 

system, and progress reports in metallurgy 1949 and 1950.

03/21/2013 34

Argonne National Laboratory-East Grade of thorium for materials testing reactor and the National 

Nucleonics program organization.

06/11/2013 2

Battelle-King Avenue Source and fissionable material balance reports, explosion of extruded 

thorium metal, and solid radioactive waste burial.

01/11/2013 5

Brookhaven National Laboratory Radiation exposures at accelerator, personnel who have worked on other 

Atomic Energy Commission projects, and ambient air monitoring 

parameters.

11/14/2008 3

Cincinnati Public Library In-situ characterization technique for screening contaminated soils, 

instructions in applications of nuclear devices at Iowa State University, 

reduction of uranium with magnesium, radiation safety in the Manhattan 

Project 1942-1946, uranium metal by carbon reduction of uranium oxide 

in vacuum, and a presentation on the decommissioning of the Ames 

Research Reactor.

02/10/2011 12

Claimant Provided Miscellaneous Linde material including a mention of medical records 

from Ames.

04/18/2005 1

Curtiss-Wright, Cheswick, PA Methods of separating U-233 from thorium. 06/18/2008 1

Department of Labor/Paragon Draft background and resurvey recommendations for the Atomic Energy 

Commission portion of the Lake Ontario Ordnance Works, uranium 

compounds, operational reports, low-level mixed waste inventory 

characteristics, and a facility assessment for treatment, storage, and 

disposal alternatives.

01/23/2012 6

DOE Environmental Management Consolidated Business 

Center (Denver)

Rocky Flats thorium shipment receipts. 02/12/2014 1

DOE Germantown Documents regarding Westinghouse Atomic Power Development Plant, 

beryllium history, procurement, procedures and policies, exposure, 

hazards and safety, history and characterization about the University of 

California, elimination report, monthly accountability, thorium 

information, site summary and history, Forest Hills location designation 

change and addition to covered facility list along with supporting 

documentation, and the DOE reasonable search protocol. 

03/07/2011 11
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Data Capture Information General Description of Documents Captured Date Completed Uploaded to 

SRDB

DOE Legacy Management - Grand Junction Office Ames Laboratory site description, Brookhaven request for thorium 

fluoride, cast rod production, radiological survey program, Manhattan 

District History Book I - General Volume 4 Auxiliary Activities, monthly 

progress report, preparation of KUF5 and K2UCL6, processing losses of 

material, receiving report for stabilized zirconia casting mix, sewer 

contamination incident, shipment of thorium, soil contamination south 

end of physical chemistry annex, thorium operations at Ames, report of 

fire at Ames, transmittal of invoices and receiving reports, the site 

radiological resurvey program, an order for D-29 from DuPont, metal 

production for the Manhattan Engineer District, raw materials, and 

production reports.

07/22/2013 108

DOE Legacy Management - Morgantown Recycled uranium reports showing Ames shipments, Fernald reports with 

receipts from and shipments to Ames, the Ames accountability station 

symbol, QA reports, evaluations of Ames uranium and thorium scrap, 

environmental evaluations, a Materials Management and Safeguards 

System status report, and thorium production at Ames.

01/11/2016 91

DOE Legacy Management - MoundView (Fernald Holdings, 

includes Fernald Legal Database)

A review of the Ames thorium process, processing and inspection of 

Ames thorium at Fernald, a DOE capsule review of Ames, and complexwide waste management and shipping issues, Mound notebook index, and 

a recommendation for preparation of thorium metal.

02/01/2012 26

DOE Oak Ridge Operations Records Holding Task Group Ames laboratory inventory report, Clinton Engineering Works account 

monthly accountability reports, list of papers written on uranium, 

Manhattan District thorium accountability, metal requirements thorium 

development, monthly production, status and progress reports, notes and 

discussions on processes, request for 1,000 pounds of thorium metal, 

survey of production of fast feed, thorium program for Savannah River, 

and thorium requirements and requests.

08/12/2015 29

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI) Fabrication of thorium tubes, paper on early methods for casting uranium 

at Iowa State College, paper on practices in the uranium foundry at Iowa 

State College, direct pouring of liquid metal from the reduction bomb, 

report on explosion of extruded thorium metal, report on survey of 

irradiation facilities, stable isotope and heavy element inventories 1964, 

documentation involving thorium oxide, thorium rod measurements, trip 

report, restoration, and waste management site maps.

05/22/2015 27

Energy Technology Engineering Center Annual review of radiological controls 1987. 11/03/2005 1

Federal Records Center (FRC) - Kansas City Film badge reports. 10/16/2008 4

Federal Records Center (FRC) - Lee's Summit Nuclear waste materials characterization reports. 04/20/2016 1

Federal Records Center (FRC) - San Bruno Summaries of fuels and materials development programs. 01/31/2006 1
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Data Capture Information General Description of Documents Captured Date Completed Uploaded to 

SRDB

Hagley Museum and Library References to Ames' wartime PUREX work with DuPont at Hanford and 

the Deepwater Works and history of X metal plant development.

10/01/2010 9

Hanford Ames waste management audits and reports, waste shipments, 

Commodity Irradiation Project, AEC planning for U-233 production, 

1951 history and description of Ames Laboratory, metal hydrides data, 

trip report, ion exchange process, post exposure examination of thorium, 

and an accountable material survey and report.

03/14/2013 46

Idaho National Laboratory Analytical Chemistry Branch procedures manual, health and safety 

personnel and functional representatives, progress reports 1964-1969, and 

radioactive material shipment records for exotic radionuclides. 

01/08/2015 36

Interlibrary Loan References to Ames' development of the PUREX process, uranium ore 

processing, incineration conference, and a journal of Glenn Seaborg.

05/29/2012 5

Internet - Defense Technical Information Center Compatibility studies of several molten uranium and thorium alloys in 

niobium, tantalum, and yttrium, intense pulsed neutron source progress 

report, report on the determination of impurity elements in Ames thorium 

billet.

08/24/2016 5

Internet - DOE Comprehensive Epidemiologic Data Resource 

(CEDR)

No relevant data identified. 03/20/2010 0

Internet - DOE Hanford Declassified Document Retrieval 

System (DDRS)

Monthly Hanford Atomic Products operation report, trip reports, and 

Hanford experience with thorium.

06/06/2013 8

Internet - DOE Legacy Management Complex-wide review of radioactive waste management, occupational 

radiation exposure reports, former worker medical screening program 

annual report, and a Legacy Management strategic plan comment 

resolution legend.

06/05/2017 9

Internet - DOE Legacy Management Considered Sites Monthly progress report, authority review for MED operations conducted 

at Ames Laboratory, interim overview and certification activities report, 

research reactor facility, production of thorium metal, uranium contained 

in the Iowa State College dump, remedial action performed at Ventron 

site, and an interim mixed waste inventory report.

04/24/2012 11

Internet - DOE Noncompliance Tracking System (NTS) Price-Anderson noncompliance reports related to personnel training, 

instrument calibration, and seal source program.

07/13/2017 7

Internet - DOE Occurrence Reporting and Processing System 

(ORPS) 

Occurrence reports on radiological and beryllium contamination, violation 

of procedures, and sealed sources.

07/13/2017 12
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Data Capture Information General Description of Documents Captured Date Completed Uploaded to 

SRDB

Internet - DOE OpenNet Semiannual reports of the Atomic Energy Commission, Manhattan 

District History Book I - General, volume 7 - Medical Program, summary 

history of the nuclear weapons program, activation test results of samples, 

summary of trips by Hanford representatives during 1952 on behalf of 

fuel element development program, financial report, information on fuel 

element development program, source and special nuclear materials 

balance reports, history of the activities of the Manhattan District 

Research Division, normal uranium machining at Y-12, advantages of 

briquetting reactants in bomb reductions, nuclear weapons program 

historical summary, and a trip report related to Hanford fuel element 

development program.

05/25/2017 28

Internet - DOE OSTI Interim report on metallurgy of thorium. 11/02/2006 1

Internet - DOE OSTI / SC&A Summary of accidents involving radiation in atomic energy activities. 02/21/2007 1

Internet - DOE OSTI Energy Citations The Ames reactor training program, thorium chemistry research, bubble 

chamber work, the Tiger Team assessment of Ames, environmental 

reports, quarterly progress reports, thorium metallurgy, and occupational 

exposure data.

02/01/2013 60

Internet - DOE OSTI Information Bridge Analysis of enriched and depleted uranium oxide powders, annual site 

environmental report, effects of temperature on mechanical properties or 

normal uranium ingot, in-situ monitoring of actinides and rare earth 

elements, low enrichment fuel conversion, neutron scattering studies, 

Nuclear Science and Technology extracts from Journal of Metallurgy and 

Ceramics, performance assessment modeling of high level nuclear waste 

forms from the pyroprocess fuel cycle, performance testing of multi-metal 

continuous emissions monitors, plutonium contamination monitoring, 

quarterly reports, radiological survey, sputtering of vanadium and 

niobium under 14.1 Mev neutron impact, uranium enrichment using 

plasma centrifuges, X-ray K-edge analysis of drain lines in Wilhelm Hall, 

counting laboratories intercalibration, radioactive waste reports, a 1950 

survey of air cleaning a summary of environmental dose models, and a 

performance evaluation of disposal of mixed low-level waste.

01/19/2013 129
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Data Capture Information General Description of Documents Captured Date Completed Uploaded to 

SRDB

Internet - DOE OSTI SciTech Connect Report to Congress on long-term stewardship, annual report on the state 

of the DOE national laboratories, annual site environmental reports, 

review of the DOE research and development facilities, compliance 

certification application for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, innovative 

technology summary report, nuclear reactors built, being built, or planned 

1991, optical assay technologies for nuclear safeguards quarterly report, 

reactor development program progress reports, retirement of Hallam 

Nuclear Power Facility, status and future requirements for the uranium233 power reactor program, transuranic waste inventory, and a DOE 

summary of 2012 occupational radiation exposure.

05/23/2017 24

Internet - Google Environment, safety, health, and assurance trend analysis, contamination 

in Spedding Hall prior to start of energy savings project, application for 

use of radioactive materials, devices, and lasers, decontamination with 

lasers, dosimetry/personnel monitoring, Frank Harold Spedding 

information, campus maps, radiation safety manual, radiological 

protection program information, RSO interview, annual site 

environmental report containing radiological doses and releases, a waste 

minimization/pollution prevention plan, a complex-wide cleanup report, 

the sixteenth annual DOE exposure report, a Manhattan Engineer District 

organization chart and history, annual transuranic waste inventory report, 

Atomic Energy Commission and the secret city of Oak Ridge, 

development of radiological profiles for DOE low-level mixed wastes, 

occupational radiation exposure reports, enhanced surveillance program 

accomplishments, final report properties of radioisotope heat sources, 

cleanup to stewardship, Iowa State University physics building floor 

plans, site environmental report, and a Waste Isolation Pilot Plant disposal 

phase final supplemental environmental impact statement.

06/06/2017 115

Internet - Health Physics Journal No relevant data identified. 06/22/2017 0

Internet - International Journal of Occupational and 

Environmental Health 

No relevant data identified. 06/22/2017 0

Internet - National Academies Press (NAP) Frank Spedding biographical memoirs. 08/19/2013 1

Internet - National Institute of Occupational Safety and 

Health (NIOSH)

Report on residual radioactive and beryllium contamination at atomic 

weapons employer facilities.

08/31/2015 6

Internet - National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) 

- Nevada Site Office

No relevant data identified. 06/22/2017 0

Internet - National Service Center for Environmental 

Publications (NEPIS)

No relevant data identified. 06/05/2017 0
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Data Capture Information General Description of Documents Captured Date Completed Uploaded to 

SRDB

Internet - NRC Agencywide Document Access and 

Management (ADAMS)

Annual operations report and a final status survey report for the Iowa 

State University's UTR-10 Reactor, termination of facility operating 

license No. R-59 for the UTR-10 Reactor, notification of reactor operator 

license cancellations, request for license amendment, shipment of 

uranium fuel, an inspection report, and information on Iowa's Agreement 

State program, classification of byproduct material from Iowa State 

University for disposal at Ambrosia Lake, and additional license material.

05/25/2017 37

Internet - Oak Ridge National Laboratory Library (ORNL) Aircraft nuclear propulsion project quarterly progress report, Metallurgy 

Division quarterly progress reports, Operations Division monthly report, 

ORNL status and progress reports, stable Isotope Research and 

Production Division quarterly progress reports, Radioisotope program 

progress report, and thorium alloys preliminary corrosion tests.

12/18/2012 44

Internet - US Army Corps of Engineers Ames Laboratory beryllium survey report. 06/01/2017 1

Internet - Washington State University (U.S. Transuranium 

and Uranium Registries)

No relevant data identified. 03/20/2010 0

Iowa State University Library Dr. Frank Spedding interview. 09/18/2013 1

Kansas City Plant MC-633 returned to plant for rework with completion schedules. 10/09/2013 1

Los Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos uranium metallurgy technical series and wartime reports 

mentioning purification work at Ames Laboratory.

08/22/2007 3

Mancuso Collection List of related Manhattan Project groups and contractors and names of 

personnel who worked with thorium at Ames Laboratory.

01/10/2017 3

Missouri Department of Natural Resources Plutonium working group report. 10/01/2008 3

Mound Museum Preparation of powdered thorium and a thorium plant operations report. 07/06/2008 2

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) -

Atlanta

Accountability reports of source and fissionable materials, acid treatment 

of thorium metal, air sampling results, breakdown of finished metal into 

green salt lots, comparison of yields from Mallinckrodt and Harshaw feed 

material, crushing brown oxide pellets, description of work done at Ames, 

instructions for billet production, Madison Square area monthly 

accountability reports, myrnalloy production - Iowa, procedures for 

handling by-product materials, proposed research program of Iowa, 

reactor development, receiving report receipts at Ames of thorium, trip 

report, requirements for x-slugs, semi-monthly reports, shipments of 

materials, thorium accountability report, thorium bearing residues, indoor 

radon study volumes 1 and 2, urine results, and organizational charts.

09/02/2015 144

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) -

Chicago

Argonne National Laboratory Radiological Division monthly summary. 06/09/2015 1
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Data Capture Information General Description of Documents Captured Date Completed Uploaded to 

SRDB

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) -

College Park

Correspondence from 1947-1950, researcher notes from the review of 

classified documents, thorium program documents including research, 

production, fabrication, program costs, and metallurgy, material 

inventories, radex reports, and wartime activities. 

03/12/2014 59

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) -

Kansas City

Information on Oak Ridge facility decontamination history, history of 

Electromet Company, and facilities used by Atomic Energy Commission 

between 1942 and 1957.

03/30/2005 3

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) -

Seattle

Radioactive material shipment records. 12/07/2014 1

National Technical Information Service (NTIS) Summary of environmental emissions including equipment, facilities, and 

economic evaluations.

06/08/2010 1

Nevada Test Site Final environmental impact statement. 10/01/2003 1

New York State Archives Waste disposal at Lake Ontario Ordnance Works, weekly and monthly 

progress reports, and Process Development Branch minutes and reports.

03/21/2012 5

NIOSH History of the United States Atomic Energy Commission, Monsanto's 

contribution to the atomic bomb, ICRP 1990 recommendations for 

neutron radiation weighting factors, semiannual report of the Atomic 

Energy Commission, annual report to Congress, and a review of a NIOSH 

site profile.

11/02/2017 23

NIOSH / SC&A Highly enriched uranium working group reports. 02/16/2006 3

Oak Ridge Library for Dose Reconstruction Operations monthly reports, Oak Ridge National Laboratory history, Feed 

Materials semi-annual report, and a statistical breakdown of incidents at 

Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

05/02/2011 5

Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge National Laboratory homogeneous reactor program, 

Metallurgical project information, plutonium contaminated uranium, 

radioisotope customers and volume of sales for each radioisotope, 

Operations Division monthly report, isotopic power materials 

development progress report, Analytical Chemistry quarterly report, and 

plutonium isotope separation information.

03/21/2014 24

Oak Ridge Reading Room Thorium shipment information. 04/08/2011 1

Ohio Department of Health Environmental restoration and waste management information. 11/03/2008 1

ORAU Team Default assumptions and methods for atomic weapons employer dose

reconstructions, occupational environmental doses for Ames Laboratory, 

U and Th operations, processing uranium products, the Ames Site Profile, 

documented communications with process knowledge sources and early 

occupational exposure experiences in uranium processing, and guidance 

on assigning occupational x-ray dose.

06/16/2017 31

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory GENII version 2 user's guide. 03/12/2007 1
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Data Capture Information General Description of Documents Captured Date Completed Uploaded to 

SRDB

Rocky Flats Plant Litigation files of health hazards in handling thorium. 07/14/2006 1

S. Cohen & Associates (SC&A) TR-119 to attend the research materials coordination and planning 

meeting, a report showing Ames shipments to Fernald, incident cases, and 

Isotopes Development Center planning meeting information.

06/13/2011 7

Savannah River Site Production of thorium at Ames, trip report including thorium meeting 

division of research, thorium slugs for irradiation program, monthly 

progress reports, thorium metal program production, and thorium metal 

requirements.

02/08/2012 13

SC&A / Pinellas Plant Waste generation and waste minimization annual progress report. 06/24/2010 1

Science Applications International Corp (SAIC) Radiation exposures by AEC Operating Office, radiation exposure 

summaries, and a summary of whole body radiation exposures to external 

penetrating radiation.

09/02/2004 9

Southern Illinois University Disposal of radioactive wastes in the metropolitan St. Louis area. 10/21/2008 2

Unknown Air samples, Blockson Chemical Company and other FUSRAP site 

information, semi-annual report of the Atomic Energy Commission, 

location of HP medical records - Mancuso Study, occupational exposure 

to thorium and beryllium, radiological hazards and controls for uranium 

operations, results of the DOE indoor radon study, site history 

information, urine, air dust, and slag sample results, records from sites 

involved in thorium work with Ames, and an analysis of accident 

sequences.

02/10/2011 54

Unknown / SC&A Results of indoor radon study. 10/09/2003 1

Y-12 Y-12 cultural resources survey and historical evaluation. 02/21/2008 1

TOTAL Not applicable Not applicable 2066
SEC-00245 11-30-17 Ames Laboratory 

40 of 41

Table A1-2: Database Searches for Ames Laboratory

Database/Source Keywords / Phrases Hits Uploaded to 

SRDB

Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC)

COMPLETED 06/27/2017

Database search terms are available in the Excel file called “Ames 

Laboratory Rev 02, (83.14) 11-06-17”

4,779 0

DOE Comprehensive Epidemiologic Data Resource 

(CEDR)

COMPLETED 03/20/2010

Database search terms are available in the Excel file called “Ames 

Laboratory Rev 02, (83.14) 11-06-17”

0 0

DOE Hanford Declassified Document Retrieval System 

(DDRS) and Public Reading Room

COMPLETED 05/25/2017

Database search terms are available in the Excel file called “Ames 

Laboratory Rev 02, (83.14) 11-06-17”

0 0

DOE Legacy Management Considered Sites

COMPLETED 06/05/2017

Database search terms are available in the Excel file called “Ames 

Laboratory Rev 02, (83.14) 11-06-17”

508 17

DOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) -

Nevada Site Office

COMPLETED 06/22/2017

Database search terms are available in the Excel file called “Ames 

Laboratory Rev 02, (83.14) 11-06-17”

0 0

DOE Noncompliance Tracking System

COMPLETED 07/13/2017

Database search terms are available in the Excel file called “Ames 

Laboratory Rev 02, (83.14) 11-06-17”

9 7

DOE Occurrence Reporting Processing System 

(Credentials Required)

COMPLETED 07/13/2017

Database search terms are available in the Excel file called “Ames 

Laboratory Rev 02, (83.14) 11-06-17”

12 12

DOE OpenNet

COMPLETED 05/25/2017

Database search terms are available in the Excel file called “Ames 

Laboratory Rev 02, (83.14) 11-06-17”

4,429 18

DOE OSTI Energy Citations 

COMPLETED 03/20/2010

Database search terms are available in the Excel file called “Ames 

Laboratory Rev 02, (83.14) 11-06-17”

12,319 0

DOE OSTI Information Bridge 

COMPLETED 03/20/2010

Database search terms are available in the Excel file called “Ames 

Laboratory Rev 02, (83.14) 11-06-17”

3,855 83

DOE OSTI SciTech Connect

COMPLETED 05/23/2017

Database search terms are available in the Excel file called “Ames 

Laboratory Rev 02, (83.14) 11-06-17”

101,713 9

Google

COMPLETED 06/06/2017

Database search terms are available in the Excel file called “Ames 

Laboratory Rev 02, (83.14) 11-06-17”

1,578,324 38

Health Physics Journal

COMPLETED 06/22/2017

Database search terms are available in the Excel file called “Ames 

Laboratory Rev 02, (83.14) 11-06-17”

151 0

International Journal of Occupational and Environmental 

Health 

COMPLETED 06/22/2017

Database search terms are available in the Excel file called “Ames 

Laboratory Rev 02, (83.14) 11-06-17”

0 0

National Academies Press

COMPLETED 05/31/2017

Database search terms are available in the Excel file called “Ames 

Laboratory Rev 02, (83.14) 11-06-17”

78,079 0

National Service Center for Environmental Publications 

(NEPIS)

COMPLETED 06/05/2017

Database search terms are available in the Excel file called “Ames 

Laboratory Rev 02, (83.14) 11-06-17”

2,661 0
SEC-00245 11-30-17 Ames Laboratory 

41 of 41

Database/Source Keywords / Phrases Hits Uploaded to 

SRDB

NRC ADAMS Reading Room 

COMPLETED 05/30/2017 

Database search terms are available in the Excel file called “Ames 

Laboratory Rev 02, (83.14) 11-06-17”

1,501 20

United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) 

COMPLETED 06/01/2017

Database search terms are available in the Excel file called “Ames 

Laboratory Rev 02, (83.14) 11-06-17”

3,894 1

U.S. Transuranium & Uranium Registries 

COMPLETED 05/31/2017 

Database search terms are available in the Excel file called “Ames 

Laboratory Rev 02, (83.14) 11-06-17”

30 0